Scorn

The game's official art cover.

Scorn is an atmospheric first-person biopunk horror adventure game set in a nightmarish universe of odd forms and somber tapestry. It was developed by Serbian development studio Ebb Software, using Unity Engine 4, and published by Kepler Interactive.

The game was originally released on October 14, 2022 for the PC and Xbox Series X/S port, and the PS5 port was later released on October 3, 2023. Due to the game's strong level of body horror and violence, along with sexual imagery, the game was rated M for Mature by ESRB and +18 by PEGI.

It is designed around an idea of "being thrown into the world". Isolated and lost inside this dream-like world you will explore different interconnected regions in a non-linear fashion. The unsettling environment is a character itself. Every location contains its own theme (story), puzzles and characters that are integral in creating a cohesive lived in world. Throughout the game you will open up new areas, acquire different skill sets, weapons, various items and try to comprehend the sights presented to you.

Story

TBA

Development

The game was announced on November 12, 2014 with a following reveal of the pre-alpha trailer video. A month later, Ebb Software launched a Kickstarter campaign that ended unsuccessfully, however the game remained in development with a planned two-part release.

Initially the game was to be split into two parts with the first being released some time in October 2018.^[1] Only the first part was announced as Dasein, which means "being there" in vernacular German ('da "there"; sein "being"), and "being-in-the-world" in Martin Heidegger's philosophy.

Gameplay

Puzzle

Main article: Puzzle mechanics

Throughout Scorn the player will encounter multiple puzzles to proceed to the next area. The first puzzle involves getting an "egg" in which a moldman is held.

One puzzle involves backtracking and getting different key components in order to use an elevator later on.

Combat

Main article: Combat mechanics

The game offers a special weapon of which the front part can be exchanged between different pieces that change the weapon into a different gun. At first, the player gets the tool gun to interact with the environment. The tool gun also doubles as the melee weapon. The player can use it to thrust/hit enemies up close.

Later on, the player can receive a simple handgun, a shotgun and near the end of the game there's a grenade launcher piece to add.

System requirements

The following are the minimum and recommended system requirements for Scorn. While these requirements do not represent a guaranteed working configuration, meeting the minimum requirements should ensure at least a launch-able environment.

Recommended requirements

OS	Windows 7, 8, 10 64 bit
Processor	Intel Core i5-2500 / AMD FX-8350
Memory	8 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290
DirectX	Version 11
Storage	50 GB available space

Additional Notes: These specifications are subject to change.

Minimum requirements

OS	Windows 7, 8, 10 64 bit
Processor	Intel Core i3-2100 / AMD FX-6300
Memory	8 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti / AMD Radeon HD 7870
DirectX	Version 11
Storage	50 GB available space

Additional Notes: These specifications are subject to change.

Reception

Critical reception

Scorn met with mixed to positive reviews. The game's art direction and puzzles are praised by many reviewers, but the combat's nature was heavily criticized while the saving system and checkpoint can be questionable.

The game recently had "Mostly Positive" reviews on Steam. The game is nominated by The Game Awards for "Best Art Direction".

Awards

TBA

Legacy

Scorn became one of the most well known and influential horror games of the 2020s. An adventure horror game, titled Necrophosis, was not just inspired by Zdzislaw Beksinski in general but also Scorn; one of the most notable examples for Necrophosis inspiration is the game's protagonist, who appears to bear some heavy resemblance to Scorns protagonist.

Scorn was intentionally an Xbox-exclusive title, although it was later supported for PlayStation 5 as well. The game's PlayStation 5 port was announced on July 29, 2023 and released on October 3rd, 11 days before the game’s 1st anniversary.

Kepler's Customization Pack, which comes with several skins based on Scorn, was released for Tchia on March 21, 2024.

What's next for Scorn is, as of today, not quite known. At first, in 2016, the developers from the official website's formerly-used FAQ section once clarified that there will be no DLCs, expansions, or sequels to the game. However, around 2022 after the game's release, as hinted by one specific answer from their recent FAQ thread on Steam along with some of the team's tweet replies, it was most likely possible that Scorn is planned to have more related content and/or entries some time in the future.